Yokohama Tire Corporation will be opening a new 430,000 sq.-ft. distribution center in Wilmer, Texas, about 15 miles southeast of Dallas. The full-service facility is expected to open in this summer and will first be used to distribute Yokohama’s OE tires, followed by passenger car/light truck and commercial truck/bus products in 2022.
“Yokohama is customer-focused, so we are always looking for ways to minimize the amount of time from when an order is placed to when we can deliver it to a dealer,” said Rick Alonzo, Yokohama Tire’s vice president of supply chain and logistics. “One of our biggest goals is to elevate our customer service and the new location in Texas will accomplish that. We’ll have better control of having the right products in the right place at the right time, which is a huge benefit for dealers.”
Alonzo added that Wilmer is an ideal location for the new warehouse. “Strategically, southeast Texas – the Dallas/Ft. Worth area – aligns perfectly for expanding our distribution network and allowing quicker delivery to more dealers.”
“We are excited about the partnership with Yokohama Tire and are committed to delivery on the expected timeline for development of this site,” said Wilmer Mayor Sheila Petta. “Yokohama is a globally recognized brand that will further strengthen the business-friendly environment in this region. Our city is one of the fastest-growing within Southern Dallas County and continuing to explode with growth. Labor base, location and regional proximity are our strong points.”
Earlier this week, YTC announced several organizational changes within the company, with Jeff Barna, president of YTC, welcoming the role of chief executive officer. Shinichi Takimoto, a senior managing officer of The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (YRC), and current CEO of YTC, will retain his role as chairman of YTC, as well as president & CEO of Yokohama Corporation of North America (YCNA), chairman of Yokohama Tire Canada Inc. (YTV), and chairman of Yokohama Tire Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. (YTMX).
“I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead Yokohama in the U.S.,” said Barna. “Our parent company has recognized us as a driver of global growth for our consolidated operations and that is exactly what we intend to do. I’m very much looking forward to officially increasing my involvement with the product and innovation agenda of YDCA and confident that the team we have assembled throughout the country has us in a great position to reach our goals.”
